In Gwynedd lived the Deryni, that mysterious race of wizards with arcane mental powers. Often feared and misunderstood, they came to be persecuted by humans, forced into hiding lest their race be destroyed. They were a race of Healers and champions, priests and teachers, who fought for all men against the intrigues of tyrants.

Herein lie their tumultuous history and the secrets of their power and ritual. Revealed is the hidden knowledge of casting protective circles: of defining the sacred space, of aspersing with holy water and salt, of censing the circle, and finally, of calling the spiritual beings that represent the four elements of the material universe.

Glimpsed here are the secrets of Healers, of their schools and philosophies--from a view of the actual training of a Healer, to the tragedy of power gone awry.